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Concord Coalition Honors the Brave 38

Tonight, the Concord Coalition will present their annual Paul E. Tsongas Patriot Award to the Brave 38—the 22 Democratic and the 16 Republican Congressman that voted for the bipartisan Cooper-LaTourette budget resolution. These members have already received much praise for voting for the plan based on Simpson-Bowles, and Concord's award is well-deserved.

The event, which also marks the 20th anniversary of the Concord Coalition, will feature a panel discussion with Rep. Jim Cooper, Steven LaTourette (R-OH), former Rep. Michael Castle (R-DL), former Rep. John Tanner (D-TN), and Concord Coalition Executive Director Robert L. Bixby. Bixby said the Cooper-LaTourette vote was a great example of the kind of leadership we will need on this tough issue.

We are honoring Republican and Democratic House members who this year put the national interest above political partisanship. Instead of pursuing narrow agendas, they put everything on the table, made tough choices and called for shared sacrifice. Their plan could rein in projected deficits and put the United States on a more responsible and sustainable course – one that would protect our nation’s strength and shield future generations of Americans from crippling national debt.

This is what responsible budgeting is all about. It is also what political leadership is all about. We salute the courage it took for these 38 members of Congress to vote for this plan in the face of strong opposition from many congressional colleagues and a wide range of powerful special interests. We will need more such courage and leadership in the months and years ahead.

We congratulate the Brave 38 on their accomplishment but also encourage them to keep working toward a comprehensive debt deal. Campaign to Fix the Debt co-chair Ed Rendell had similar thoughts earlier this month about the kind of leadership and compromise that will be necessary. With the fiscal cliff threatening our recovery and our unsustainable debt problem still unsolved, their leadership will soon be needed more than ever.

More information about the event can be found here. Members of the Brave 38 include: